Do you cringe whenever you see fresh ginger in a recipe (hopefully you didn’t cringe when you saw this Garlic Ginger Quinoa and Vegetable Stir Fry recipe)? Certainly not because of the flavor, though. Fresh ginger has such an amazing taste. But for some reason it seems like such a pain to peel the root, and cut it up working around the small branches.
And then there’s garlic. Oh garlic. I love thee so much. But you make me reek for DAYS after chopping! It just seeps through my pores. I promise, it’s not laziness. It’s just consideration for others that have to smell me for the next couple of days.
The final thing that drives me crazy about most fresh ginger, garlic, and herbs in general, is that more often than not I buy it for ONE recipe and then the rest of it goes bad. Nothing makes me more sad that wasting food. It’s just such a… waste.
Then I found these frozen herbs at Walmart called Pop & Cook. They have crushed garlic, chopped cilantro, crushed ginger, sautéed glazed onions, and chopped basil. Cue sirens singing from above.
I took a few food science and nutrition classes in college. And one thing I always remembered is that frozen produce is often fresher, and better for you than the fresh stuff. I know that doesn’t sound logical. But since it’s processed so soon after being harvested (Pop & Cook is within 90 minutes of harvest), it retains the nutrients and locks them in.
That’s exactly why I was so stoked to find that my local Walmart carries the crushed garlic and chopped ginger (hoping the others come soon… hint, hint). Lately I’ve been on a big clean-ish eating kick, and I love making new recipes to turn into quinoa bowls.
Garlic Ginger Quinoa and Vegetable Stir Fry
For this Garlic Ginger Quinoa and Vegetable Stir Fry recipe, there wasn’t a ton of prep since the hard part was already done. And you don’t need a lot of each vegetable because when you cook it all together, it adds up quickly. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover veggies.
Ingredients:
- 1 Small Head of Broccoli
- 1 Cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 Zucchini – Sliced
- 8 oz Sliced Cremini Mushrooms
- 1/2 Small Head of Purple Cabbage
- 2 Cubes Pop & Cook Crushed Garlic (2 cloves minced garlic)
- 2 Cubes Pop & Cook Crushed Ginger (2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger)
- 3/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Green Onion – Chopped
Directions:
- Get your quinoa cooking right away since everything else won’t take long. Combine 1 cup dry quinoa with 2 cups water and let it come to a boil.
- After the quinoa has come to a boil, turn the heat down, cover it, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, give your broccoli head a rough chop (after chopping off the thickest part of the trunk) and steam it – Do this by putting the chopped broccoli in a medium pot over high heat, covering with 1/2 cup of water and a hearty pinch of salt and pepper, put a lid on it, let it steam for 5 minutes.
- Get a wok or large pan heating up over medium heat while you shred the cabbage.
- Drizzle the pan with olive oil, then when it’s hot (but not burning) put the cabbage in.
- Pop one each of the Pop & Cook garlic and ginger cubes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Check on your quinoa
- Sautee the cabbage for a few minutes, then add all the other vegetables including the steamed broccoli.
- Pop the second garlic and ginger cubes in.
- Cook the veggies together for a few more minutes, then add the soy sauce.
- Now finish cooking the veggies until they are cooked, but still have a bit to them.
- After the quinoa has finished cooking, spoon some into a bowl and top with the garlic and ginger sautéed vegetables.
- Drizzle the sesame oil on top, and sprinkle the sesame seeds.
- Add a few chopped green onions for garnish
You may be thinking I forgot the meat. Alas, this Garlic Ginger Quinoa and Vegetable Stir Fry is so yummy you won’t even miss it! I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients
- 1 Small Head of Broccoli
- 1 Cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 Zucchini - Sliced
- 8 oz Sliced Cremini Mushrooms
- 1/2 Small Head of Purple Cabbage
- 2 Cubes Pop & Cook Crushed Garlic (2 cloves minced garlic)
- 2 Cubes Pop & Cook Crushed Ginger (2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger)
- 3/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Green Onion - Chopped
Instructions
- Get your quinoa cooking right away since everything else won't take long. Combine 1 cup dry quinoa with 2 cups water and let it come to a boil.
- After the quinoa has come to a boil, turn the heat down, cover it, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, give your broccoli head a rough chop (after chopping off the thickest part of the trunk) and steam it - Do this by putting the chopped broccoli in a medium pot over high heat, covering with 1/2 cup of water and a hearty pinch of salt and pepper, put a lid on it, let it steam for 5 minutes.
- Get a wok or large pan heating up over medium heat while you shred the cabbage.
- Drizzle the pan with olive oil, then when it's hot (but not burning) put the cabbage in.
- Pop one each of the Pop & Cook garlic and ginger cubes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Check on your quinoa
- Sautee the cabbage for a few minutes, then add all the other vegetables including the steamed broccoli.
- Pop the second garlic and ginger cubes in.
- Cook the veggies together for a few more minutes, then add the soy sauce.
- Now finish cooking the veggies until they are cooked, but still have a bit to them.
- After the quinoa has finished cooking, spoon some into a bowl and top with the garlic and ginger sautéed vegetables.
- Drizzle the sesame oil on top, and sprinkle the sesame seeds.
- Add a few chopped green onions for garnish
Comments